


How Long Baby Have I Been Away?

by Cai_Artz



Series: Best frenemies to lovers [3]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Heterosexual Sex, Hurt/Comfort, Mentioned Jack Harkness, Mentioned Missy (Doctor Who), Smut, mentioned Ruth!Doctor, that needs to be a tag, the Master being a jerk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:27:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22444081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cai_Artz/pseuds/Cai_Artz
Summary: An AU that takes place after Fugitive of the JudoonA heartbroken Doctor searches for the Master despite her friend's warnings. In fear of her loneliness the Doctor plans to do whatever it takes to be with him again. But does she really have to do anything at all?
Relationships: The Doctor/The Master (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor/The Master (Dhawan)
Series: Best frenemies to lovers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1600012
Comments: 29
Kudos: 200





	1. Holy Darkness Got A Hold On Me

**Author's Note:**

> This fandom deserves angst with fluff and I will deliver! This is a bit of a self-indulgent AU because I want the Master to come back.
> 
> Enjoy

No.No.No.NO! SHIT! The Doctor slammed her palm against the TARDIS console for the fifth time that night, hot tears streaming down her face. Her whole life had been ripped from her, everything she knew was a lie and she still couldn’t reach the Master. Yaz had told her that maybe it was for the best if she stopped looking for him, made her promise she would, and yeah maybe the Doctor was a jerk for lying to them but she had to find him. The Master was the only other person in the world who knew her, who felt her pain and who knew what was going on. She wasn’t going to let him slip through her fingers again, she had already lost Missy, and even if this wasn’t the Master she knew, she needed him. The Doctor took a deep breath, steadied herself, shut her eyes and tried to reach out to him again. Even if the TARDIS couldn’t track him, he had to be somewhere. 

_ Contact _ she waited with bated breath, she could feel his mind tugging at hers like he was debating whether or not to answer. 

_ You never know when to stop, do you? _ Her eyes flew open with a jolt, she took a quick look around the room only to find it empty. Her companions were asleep.  _ Worried about what your pets will think? _

_ I need you.  _

_ You only need me when you want something,  _ the Master growled.  _ I won’t tell you anything, you won’t get the answers you want from me so why don’t you just ditch me in another dimension again? _

_ You did that to yourself!  _ The Doctor sighed, leaning her head against the console,  _ please...I don’t want to fight you. _

_ That’s all we ever do, love.  _

_ I just...need someone. I need my friend back.  _ There was silence. She would have almost laughed at how the tables had turned, but for a moment the Doctor was afraid he had left again. Tears formed in her eyes, she squeezed them shut and forced herself to relax. She was desperate, she knew he could tell. Her mind was reeling and he could feel it, wherever he was.  _ It’s just you and me..we’re all that’s left.  _ More silence, the Doctor bit her lip.

_ Did you see it?  _

_ I saw...something. _ She pushed the thought to the forefront of her mind, letting him see the events that had transpired the day before. She let him know what Jack had said, let him see the Judoon ship, and when it was all over she waited.

_ So you haven’t figured it out yet..shame.  _

_ Master, please. _

_ Why should I help you!? All you’ve ever done is toss me aside! And now you need me?  _ The Master laughed, loud and painful, and then just like that he was gone and the Doctor was left alone with only the sound of the TARDIS’ soft hum and the feeling of her tears trailing down her cheek.

Yaz was the first one to find her curled up atop the console room stairs, her hair messy and falling over her face and her cheeks red from tears. Gently, Yaz shook the Doctor awake, backing away from her as she rose quickly from her spot and wiped the sleep out of her eyes. “Sorry..must’ve dozed off…”

“What were you doing up all night like that?” Yaz asked as the Doctor stood up and brushed her hair out of her face. 

“S’nothing. Didn’t even realize I was so tired..I’m gunna go shower.” Yaz watched the Doctor as she all but stumbled out of the room worry lacing her features. This was going too far, ever since the Judoon the Doctor had been reckless with her health. She needed to get the others. They had to do something about this.


	2. Meet Me In The Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its gunna get worse before it gets better

The days following Yaz’s discovery of the Doctor in the console room the gang began to keep a close eye on their friend. They played it out like shifts, each person taking turns to make sure the Doctor was alright. They were sure she was starting to notice, but there were times where she would forget they were there altogether and they would find her tinkering with the TARDIS or leaning against the pillar with her eyes closed. Both activities ended in tears more often than not, and she would quickly wipe them away and tell them she was okay as if they hadn’t been standing there the whole time. Yaz and Ryan had tried to get into contact with Jack again, but neither of them really knew how the TARDIS’ tracking worked and it seemed like they wouldn’t be seeing him for a while. He knew things though, things about her past that they still didn’t know, it sat heavy in their hearts. 

It was on Ryan’s ‘shift’ that he had lost sight of the Doctor, she had wandered away from him while he had been distracted. It wasn’t exactly his fault, she had been doing nothing but staring at the console for twenty minutes, he was bound to get bored. The thing was, though, that she wasn’t on the ship, and when Ryan tried to get outside the door had been locked. He sighed, knowing she must have gone home again. He went to go tell Yaz what was going in, in the hopes that she knew what to do. 

The Doctor was not on Gallifrey. In fact, the Doctor had landed the ship a couple lightyears away from where Gallifrey stood on a planet covered in forests and home to creatures that were otherwise harmless. The Master had said to meet here, well, he hadn’t said as much as he had shown her the coordinates and then exited her mind like it was nothing. He hadn’t been there when she landed, she made the assumption that she’d have to go looking for him. She reached out to him as she walked, hoping to feel his presence somewhere within the maze of trees. She could start to feel him the further in she walked, his mind calling to her, and with relative ease she navigated the trees until she was standing in front of his ship, the old shack looming beside the tall trees. The Master was sitting in front of it on the stairs, his legs pulled to his chest as he waited; He didn’t look like his usual smug self, his hair was disheveled and his eyes bloodshot like he had been crying. The Doctor inched forward, the crunch of the leaves below her feet catching his attention, his eyes flickered over to her but he made no move to get up, no plan of attack. “Master?”

“So you came,” he muttered, lifting his head to give her a smirk but it looked forced, “you must be really desperate.” he hissed, fingers digging into his knees as she stepped closer and closer until she was sitting beside him on the worn stairs. 

“I came because I wanted to see you, not to demand answers,” she says, resting her hands on the patio. 

“You’re a bad liar.” 

“I’m not lying, I know you won’t give me answers anyway…” she sighed, tilting her head back to look up at the sky, “so how’d you escape? In the end?” The Master scoffed, letting his legs fall so his feet were flat against the ground, he ran a hand through his hair.

“You really think they could hold me forever? I’m not a fool Doctor.”

“You didn’t know I was recording you,” she smirked, “I still managed to trick you.”

“Shut up,” he growled, but there was no bite to it, he seemed too tired. “I let you come here and bother me and you choose to insult me instead.”

“Sorry,” she says, but she doesn’t really mean it. She wasn’t sorry for defeating him, wasn’t sorry for sending him away. She was sorry she had lost him though, maybe not then but a long time ago. “I saw myself...or, at least I think she was me but..she didn’t remember me, and I didn’t remember her.” The Master hummed, she didn’t even think he was listening but she continued to speak anyway, “and then Jack..shows up again, of all people. You remember him, don’t you? You killed him, more than once.”

“I’ve attempted murder on a lot of your friends Doctor, he isn’t new.” 

“No..I suppose not,” she sighs, rubbing her hands over her face, “everything is confusing, you’re the only thing I have left, the only memory.” 

“I’m not here to be your nostalgia trip Doctor,” the Master growled, but the Doctor isn't listening. She leaned her body against his, feeling him tense as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I could kill you…” he mutters. 

“You’d be the last. You’d be alone.” 

“You said there was another,” the Master says.

“She wouldn’t be me, not really. Not the one you know, I barely know her..”

“Any body you’re in is you, Doctor,” she feels his chin rest against her head, his arm wrap around her shoulder, and his body relax under hers. The warmth spreads through her like a wildfire, she nuzzles her cheek against his shoulder.

“Do you like this body?” she asked, but the Master doesn’t answer her, instead he presses a kiss to her head. 

“You’ll leave in the morning,” he says, “when you realize I won’t tell you anything.”

“You can come with me,” the Master laughs, his grip on her tightens and for a moment she’s afraid he’ll hurt her, but he never has, not really, not as much as she’s hurt him. She isn’t afraid of him, he knows this. It’s been too damn long. She knows he won’t come with her either, but it was worth a shot. Her eyes slip closed as he holds her, she has to leave soon or her companions will start to worry, she knows this. But his body is warm against hers, a warmth she didn’t know she needed. She lets a tear slip down her cheek and lets him hold her for the night.


	3. Stop Drinking It Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor regrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it gets worse before it gets better, but such is the way of an angsty fanfic

The Doctor woke up in a bed she was sure she had never actually entered, in a room she was sure she hadn’t been in the night before. She recognized it as the Master’s, things were strewn about haphazardly and piles of books on the floor felt like a familiar comfort. The only thing was, the Master was nowhere to be found. It dawned on her quickly, that she had probably slept in his bed all night, and that her companions, if they were not worried before, would definitely be now. She sat up with a grown, stretching her arms over her head, she scanned the room for her coat only to find it had been thrown on the armchair in the corner of the room. Hopping out of bed she grabs her coat and throws it on before combing her hair down with her fingers and making her way out of the room in search of the Master. His TARDIS led her right to him, the smell of breakfast wafted through the air as she entered the kitchen to find him at the stove cooking. “Since when do you cook?” she asked, leaning against the counter as she watched him flip a pancake.

“I know how to cook Doctor,” the Master said, his eyes leaving the pan to flick over her form for a second before he returned to the task at hand.

“I never said you didn’t, I just assumed you don’t do it. I figured you’d just pop to a planet and steal a local delicacy.” The thought made the Master laugh and in turn, it made the Doctor smile, within a second it felt like the air had been lifted and the two Timelords basked in comfortable silence as the Master finished serving breakfast. They talked about anything and everything as they ate, usually distant memories but the Doctor felt no weight in them. On occasion, the Master would smile or laugh, and the Doctor would commit the sound to memory and try her best to hear it again. He laughed so beautifully. They sat comfortably, that is until there was the distant sound of her name being called outside and the Doctor watched as the Master tensed all over again. 

“You should go..” he said, getting up and taking his plate with him, “they won’t be happy when they find me.” he turns away from her and for a moment she wished she could stay so she could wrap her arms around him and never let go. 

“Koschei..” she began, only to be cut off by him.

“Better hurry Doctor, they’re getting close.” 

“Come with me.” she pleaded, reaching out to grab his hand. He sidestepped away from her, making sure he wasn’t facing her as he walked back into the console room with her trailing behind him. “Please.” 

“No,” he growled, “I won’t be subjected to your stupid pets, I won’t cling to your every whim. I am not one of them Doctor, I will not heel for you.” He snapped his fingers, the door creaked open behind him, and then, finally, he turned to face her. His eyes betrayed no emotion, his posture was straight, and as he gazed upon her his jaw tightened. The Doctor could hear her friends calling out to her again, they were getting nearer. What would they think? She knew the answer. The same thing they thought when she first told them she was looking for him. She could picture their hurt, their fear. She tossed her options around in her mind like a ball back and forth, back and forth. The voices were louder now, and the Doctor reacted purely on instinct. With one final glance at the Master, she ran out the door, facing away from his TARDIS, the familiar groaning sound indicating that his ship was dematerializing behind her. When the groaning faded, only then did her friends finally find her, alone in the woods with a fake grin plastered on her face.

“Doctor...where did you go? Why won’t you tell us?” Yaz asked, as the Doctor sent her TARDIS into flight and watch the forest disappear before her eyes. 

“It’s personal,” she said, hoping it didn’t come out as harsh as she had thought.

“You always say that,” Ryan muttered, “you’ve been saying that for weeks...we’re worried about you.” the Doctor sighed, lifting her face from the console to look at them directly. The trio shared matching looks of worry, Yaz’s eyebrows creased together and she chewed her lip, Graham frowned his arms crossed over his chest, and Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I’m fine,” she said after a moment, “I appreciate your worry...really I do, but I can take care of myself.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone, whatever it is,” Yaz said, placing a gentle hand on the Doctor’s arm. She tensed at the sudden contact, pulling herself away from her she plastered on a smile and shook her head.

“Really Yaz,” she said, “I’m fine…” she wasn’t alone, that’s the one thing they didn’t understand. Sure she had them, humans, always so brilliant and kind and brave, but she also had the Master the one person in the universe who knew exactly what she was going through, what she had been through. It’s a shame he didn’t need her as much as she needed him. She wondered where he was now, where he went to when she wasn’t around. For a moment, she wished he’d start something again, take over a planet or even steal something just so she could see him again. Shoving her hands in her pockets she made a show of twirling around the console, a play of fake enthusiasm as she flicked switches and pressed buttons and coaxed her friends into another adventure.


	4. A Night out On the Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In order to distract her friends the Doctor tries a new tactic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These updates are going to become super sporadic because I'm currently in school but I hope you enjoy them

She loved curious companions. All of her previous companions had shown a love for the unknown, their curiosity is what kept her going, what kept her traveling. But sometimes curiosity was frustrating. There are times where she wanted nothing to do with anyone and their curiosity only seemed to irk her rather than inspire. They wouldn’t stop asking questions, about Gallifrey, or the Master, or just her mood in general. She tried to ignore it, tried to push the conversation to something else, but there were times where she snapped at them, where she felt like she was driving them away. They still stayed, of course, because they cared about her, they were her family. But the fact that she wouldn’t tell them anything began to put a strain on things, not to mention that the Master was once again nowhere to be found. She had begun texting him again, just to see if he would respond. He had, though they were snarky and unhelpful, she was happy to just be talking to him again. It was different from O, the Master was harsher, O’s shyness was replaced by the Master’s usual boldness. Despite this, his texts made her smile. The familiarity of it felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to everything that had been going on around her. They never spoke of Gallifrey, she resisted the feeling of heartbreak as much as the Master resisted the feeling of vulnerability. She supposed, in a way, that he wanted her to feel what she did just to convince him that they were the same. She’d never admit to it though. 

It didn’t take her long to notice that her companions had been refusing to leave her side. At first, she hadn’t thought much about it, her mind often preoccupied with other things. But even an idiot would begin to notice when people were hovering, and currently, that’s what it seemed like they were doing. Yaz and Ryan were in the console room with her, attempting to make small talk as she typed out another message to the Master in an attempt to coax him into telling her where he was. When the conversation became about their favorite ice-cream flavors, the Doctor knew they had run out of ideas, not that any of them were working anyway. With a sigh, she placed her phone on the console, “how would you guys feel about visiting the largest amusement park in the universe?” she asked, looking over at them with a small smile. Judging by their reactions, it seemed that she had caught their attention, though their gazes were apprehensive as if they were aware she was trying to distract them. She'd need to sell her plan a little harder, "there used to be an amusement park on a moon,” she rambled as she set the coordinates, “I went there a long time ago..with a friend of mine," she paused for a moment, then shook her head and continued "it shut down but they reopened it, this time on a planet.”

“Are planets usually up for sale in the future?” Yaz asked as Ryan left to wake his grandfather up.

“There are planets up for sale in your time too,” she said, “the concept isn’t new.” 

“I’ve just never heard of it,” Yaz said, “it’s not like humans are selling planets or anything.”

“In your time,” the Doctor explains, waving her hands about as she spoke, “Earth is a fairly new planet, and humans a fairly new species. It’ll be awhile before you figure out communication between planets let alone capitalism.” Yaz grimaced at the thought of space capitalism. But the Doctor's distraction had worked fairly well, and the human's natural curiosity was directed at something more comfortable than the Doctor's personal life. The Doctor’s phone buzzed, Yaz leaned over to take a look only for the TimeLord to snatch her phone up and shove it in her pocket. “Anyway, this amusement park has a water area. I’ll land us on a nice summer day, you should tell the boys to get their bathing suits.”

“What about you?” Yaz asked as she straightened herself, the Doctor shook her head.

“Not much of a swimmer,” she says. Yaz sighs, but doesn’t say anything further, instead she makes her way further into the TARDIS to do what the Doctor had asked. When she's a safe distance away the Doctor pulls out her phone and checks it. She smiles softly, letting out an amused huff as she types out their intended coordinates to the Master. "Come and get me then," she mutters, and maybe it's wrong, but the prospect of foiling whatever the Master had planned seemed like an easy way out of the thoughts swirling in her mind. If he blows up a rollercoaster or two well...who is she to judge him?

The humans exited the ship with different levels of excitement. Yaz and Ryan shared the same enthusiasm, seemingly they had forgotten about their last trip to a 'resort'. Graham, on the other hand, did not. The two couldn't be blamed for it, they were young after all, and at some point adventures with the Doctor had begun to blur in their minds, each new peril seemingly topping the last. Graham, however, didn't forget. He supposed it was in his blood to remember past mistakes and correct them. This is why, as the group exited the ship, Graham was clutching his bag close to his chest, ready to hightail it back with all of his things if necessary. But the closer they got to the entrance the less it seemed like they were in any danger and Graham managed to relax significantly as the Doctor flashed her psychic paper to the ticket taker and ushered them all into the park.

"This is the water section of the planet," the Doctor explained, "believe it or not it's all entirely natural. You see the only water on this planet is on this side, everything else is almost barren. So, the people created a system for transporting the water to other sides of the planet," Graham was only half listening to her ramblings. He was more preoccupied with trying to find the perfect spot to sunbathe. The park itself was lovely, people and children bustled about joining queues for rides or lines for food, some alien and some humanoid in feature. Everything looked lovely, Graham was sure he'd have a good time.

"There you are Doctor," spoke too soon. Graham whipped his head around just in time to see the Master swagger up to them, he clutched his back close to his chest and turned to find that Yaz and Ryan had run off to do their own thing. It seemed that the Master didn't even notice him, and neither did the Doctor as she ran up to him. She must have thought he had gone off with the others. But why would the Master even be here? Why'd the Doctor look so relaxed? He watched as they spoke, the Doctor's posture ten times more relaxed than the Master's, who seemed to hate being surrounded by so many people. Graham took a careful step back, staying by long enough to watch the Doctor drag the Master off, before deciding it was best that he forgot anything happened. After all, the Master being here meant only one thing, Graham wouldn't be enjoying his holiday for long.


	5. Yellow Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor's plan backfired

“Where have you been?” the Master ripped his arm out of the Doctor’s grip as soon as they were a couple of lengths away from her companions. He brushed face dust off his suit and huffed dramatically. The suit wasn’t exactly made for an amusement park, but then again he never dressed in anything less than a suit and tie on these sorts of endeavors. See, the Doctor had been texting him non stop for about a week after their meeting in the forest, and at first, the Master had replied in clipped one worded sentences or just didn’t reply at all. That is until the Doctor’s texting had begun to interrupt him from his work and well, he couldn’t deny that texting the Doctor just to frustrate her had been fun. Their conversations had begun to turn into a game. Both Timelords trying to see who would meet up with who first. Though the Master would refuse to tell her where he was the Doctor had begun to send him coordinates, places she deemed safe enough for him to wreak havoc. 

**The Doctor**

Might pop out to Clom. See what’s new over there.

**The Master (Bastard)**

Last time I checked that planet was abandoned

currently, nothing new is over there Doctor

But it’s cute that you insist on continuing to try

It was only when the Doctor had changed tactics that the Master’s interests were piqued. The Doctor had kept their psychic connection open on the off chance that the Master would allow her access to his mind. This was a stupid idea. She was desperate for attention, she didn’t even think to consider leaving her mind closed. When the Master felt her flash of annoyance he knew it was directed at her companions as soon as it was followed by the thought of taking them to the amusement park. The Master liked that. An amusement park was big, packed, full of people, and even better it was a planet. He was quick to tell her he’d be seeing her there. 

“I’ve been busy,” the Master said, surveying the surrounding area. He had a plan, he knew that she knew he had a plan, and so this small talk was worthless for anything other than the Doctor’s own self-gain. 

“You locked me out of our link,” if the Master were paying any attention, he’d find that she sounded almost heartbroken. 

“Very clever of you my dear,” he said, “keeping the link open. What did you think you would find?” he took a step forward just as she took a step back until the two of them were crowded into a small alley in between two merchandise buildings. It wasn’t the ideal place to enact his plan but it was sure as hell doing the trick, he could practically hear the Doctor’s breath hitch. 

“You’d give up control at some point..I’d find you.”

“And yet you did not,” the Doctor’s back was pressed against the brick wall as the Master’s hand came to rest on her slim waist, “so you decided to bring me here,” he purred, leaning over to nip at the shell of her ear. She hissed, pulling away from him, though the wall didn’t let her get very far. Except, this was the Doctor, if she wanted him away from her it wouldn’t take very hard to make that happen. She was stalling, maybe, or maybe she was just enjoying this. The Master smirked at the idea, pressing his leg in between the Doctor’s thighs. 

“You’re a sucker for a crowded planet,” she bit back.

“And you’d let me kill all these innocent people for a high?” he chuckled lowly, pressing his lips to her neck. The Doctor grinned, but he didn’t take any notice of it until he was on the floor, face to face with it. Her grin widened when he struggled to get up and realized he couldn’t, his hands were tied behind his back. When the hell did she do that? He growled, forcing his body up only for it to fall back to the ground. Well fuck. This was certainly not how he expected things to go. 

“I’m not letting you kill anyone, I got you here, you can’t avoid me now.” the Master glared at her, teeth bared as he struggled against the bonds but they were tight. What the hell did she tie him with? It felt like metal for sure, but he couldn’t get his fingers to touch it enough to figure out what it was. Which was bad, very bad. He thought about his options for a moment, then decided the best way to piss the Doctor off was to not give her what she wanted. The Doctor was many things, but the Master liked to focus on the impatient child part of her personality and exploit it to his best interest.

“I won’t answer you, I can ignore you just as well here.” the Doctor's hand covered his mouth when a group of giggling girls passed by the front of the alleyway. The Master smirked against her hand. She couldn’t do anything to him here, not in public at least she would have to take him somewhere else and her TARDIS was too far away for her to drag him there unnoticed. Which is why when the Doctor forced him to his feet his smile only grew. “People will ask questions,” he snarked. The Doctor reached into her pocket, pulled out a short-range teleport and wiggled it in his face watching as the smile fell from it with a grin. 

“Oh, I’m not worried.”

“What about your precious friends?” The Doctor didn’t respond, she pressed the button and they transported with ease back to her ship where she let him fall to the ground inside. Ah, weighted handcuffs, kinky. 

The Master hadn’t spoken for a while, he refused to say anything at all. The Doctor had taken the handcuffs off him as soon as they were inside knowing full well there was no way for him to leave. He had taken to sitting against one of the crystal pillars and watching her pace back and forth. “Why’d you do it?” Ah, there it is.

“I thought you weren’t trying to get to me for answers,” he chuckled, leaning his head against the pillar, his hair falling to the front of his face. “And here I thought you only kidnapped me for me.”

“Shut up! I didn’t kidnap you.” she snapped. The Master raised an eyebrow and gestured to the room.

“And yet, here I am. Stuck while your pets play outside, clever-clever Doctor.” he sucked in a shuddered breath, like the mere thought of her tricking him sent shivers down his spine. She grimaced, marching over to him and leaning down to his level, he liked that even more somehow.

“Tell me,” she said, her eyes locked on his. He stayed silent, long enough to distract her. His hands shot out, gripping her waist and tugging her until she was seated on his lap, she made no move to leave. 

“No,” he said, one hand slipping up her shirt, his fingers digging into her skin, “I don’t think I will,” she growled with frustration, her hand gripping his hair she tugged sharply, forcing his head back as she raised to her knees and towered over him. The sting was enough to make him bite his lip and swallow a groan. 

“Just tell me! TELL ME WHY!” the Doctor’s phone buzzed behind her, her companions were looking for her, how sweet. The Master was quick to grab her arms and force her to the ground, playtime was over. 

“I like this,” he purred, lips ghosting her neck, “the anger.” his hand slid up her waist again, he pressed feather-light kisses to the junction of her neck. “We should do this again sometime.” Then, he was slipping the teleport from out of her pocket and disappearing from her ship in a flash. The Doctor lay on the floor, her chest heaving, her phone buzzing in the background. She was going to need a plan B.

After sending her fifth text to the Doctor Yaz placed her phone back into her bag and sat on her beach chair with a huff. Beside her, Ryan and Graham were basking in the glow of an alien sun as children laughed and splashed in the pool in front of them. Yaz scanned the area for any sign of the Doctor as found none, her fingers tapped her thigh restlessly. 

“Yaz could you calm down, the Doctor’s an adult she can handle herself,” Ryan said, his eyes were obscured by black sunglasses but she knew he was looking at her. Graham, who was in a similar position as Ryan, stayed uncharacteristically silent, or maybe he was asleep either way, Yaz was still worried. 

“What if she ran off and got herself into trouble?” she asked, and Ryan groaned in response. Yaz bit her lip, scanning the surrounding area again before spotting a blur of yellow and blue heading towards them. She let out a relieved breath, waving down the Doctor who waved back. As she got closer, Yaz could see the scowl on her face shift into a small smile. She plopped herself down on the seat beside her.   
“How are you enjoying the place?” she asked. Ryan sat up and stretched with a yawn.

“S’great,” he said, “Yaz was all worried about ya.” Yaz shot him a glare, to which he just shrugged before getting up. 

“No need to worry, I just went to explore,” the Doctor said, her voice clipped. Yaz was the only one who seemed to notice, as Ryan was busy heading towards the water and Graham was still probably asleep.

“Find anything interesting?” she asked. The Doctor paused for a moment before shaking her head and looking down at her hands.

“Nah, nothing worth getting excited over. Although, I did see a bird steal an entire cinnamon bun off a child! At least...I think it was a bird,” she said, rubbing her neck, “might’ve not been..should probably look into that.”

“The bird?”

“Or the kid, whichever one.” Yaz let out a soft laugh and finally relaxed into her seat. The Doctor smiled softly at her, before fixing her gaze to the other side of the pool, where she could have sworn she caught a glimpse of the Master heading back to his ship.


	6. Twisted Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She really do be running after him doe

“So..where did you really run off to?” Yaz asked, once they were back on the TARDIS and floating somewhere in deep space. They had spent a majority of the day in the water park, Ryan and Graham got tired after a while and they decided to eat and head back. Overall, the day had been the most uneventful one they’ve ever head aboard the TARDIS, it wasn’t surprising that they got bored rather quickly, even Graham who usually was the first to refuse the whole getting into danger thing. The boys had gone to sleep leaving Yaz with an awfully quiet Doctor. It was starting to worry her, how quiet the Doctor had been recently. Sure, she hadn’t known her for long, but if there was one thing Yaz was sure of it was the fact that the Doctor had a mouth on her and she’d never stop talking if she could. That being said, the silence was very worrying. 

“Just went to explore,” the Doctor said. It was an automated response at this point when the Doctor didn’t want to tell them where she’d actually been when she wandered deep into the TARDIS where no one could find her and would come back and tell them she was merely exploring. It didn’t work, not really, but ‘just exploring’ had become the equivalent of don’t ask. Yaz could recall her telling them they asked too many questions, and sure they tried to give her the space she needed to tell them what was wrong, but this was going on for far too long. The Doctor had yet to even look up at her.

“You always say that, please Doctor I just want to help,” the Doctor is quiet for a moment, all that could be heard was the pressing of buttons, then she sighs.

“I’ve been...looking for the Master.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s personal,” she growls. There it was again, the same conversation. It was like the Doctor was purposefully looping it, but this time Yaz had something she didn’t have, she had a realization. The Doctor used that same line on several occasions but one more memorable one was the forest they had found her in when she had left the ship. Putting two and two together wasn’t hard after that, Yaz didn’t think the Doctor even realized. 

“When we were in that forest when you left,” she says stepping closer to her, “you saw him didn’t you...you found him and you just let him go.” the Doctor tensed, her fingers gripped the console, Yaz isn't backing down without a fight. “Why’d you do it? What do you even need him for?”

“Yaz please just, don't..” her voice was clipped, stern, leaving no room for argument. But there was something darker in it, a warning. 

“Doctor, why won’t you let us help?”

“BECAUSE YOU CAN'T!” the Doctor growled, “You can’t help me!” Yaz flinched back, her eyes widened. The Doctor’s grip loosened she looked startled as if she didn’t know she had that in her. She looked like she was going to reach out to her, but something stopped her, her arm fell limp to her side. “I..I’m sorry,” she whispers. Yaz shakes her head, of course, she’d forgive her, you don’t argue with the designated driver, but it still stung that the Doctor felt she couldn’t trust them with something like this. She turns on her heel and leaves, making her way down the corridor and away from the angered Timelord. 

“He was there,” she jumps at the sound of Graham’s voice and turns to find him standing just near the entrance to the console room, “at the park..I saw him when he arrived.” he says.

“So what they’ve been, sneaking around?” Yaz asks, leaning against the opposite wall, her voice hushed.

Graham shakes his head, gesturing to the empty corridor, “if they were,” he says, “I think he’d be here. Don’t you?” Yaz considers it for a moment. If the Doctor had spoken to the Master and he wasn’t in the TARDIS it could only mean that their talk didn’t go well, either that or the Master had won whatever fight they had. Then again, the Master didn’t seem like the type of person to just waltzed into the Doctor’s ship if she asked. 

“So, what do we do?” she asks, nodding her head towards the console room, “about her?”

“What can we do? We’ll never really understand.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t help!” she snaps, not loud enough to bring attention to them. Graham sighs, looking down at the Doctor, who’s eyes were closed as she leaned against one of the pillars. 

“Why does she do that?” he asks, Yaz follows his gaze, studying her for a moment. Her face would shift, minuscule reactions like she was dreaming, and yet too precise for her to be. It seemed like she was searching, the same way she searched at the console.

“Do you think it’s like mind reading? She can’t find the Master with her mind?”

“Like a psychic link?” Yaz nods, and Graham ponders the idea for a moment. When the Doctor gasps and lurches forward it’s clear that she had found something, she’s rushing to the console to pick up her phone, her companions push against the wall to better hide. They watch as she connects the phone to something, and a hologram flickers to life. The Master’s likeness stands before her, his hands in his pockets as he glares at her, a sneer on his face. 

“Again?” he growls, “how many times are we going to do this dance Doctor?”

“I need your help!” she cries, her hand reaching out for his until she realizes he isn't really there and quickly drops it “you know I can’t do this without you!”

“I’m getting bored of this game Doctor,” the Master’s form flickers as he takes a step forward. 

“If you won’t tell me what you know just..be here,” she pleads, and Yaz sucks in a breath as she takes notice of the tears falling from her face. Why does she care so much? Why is he so important to her? She said he was her oldest friend, but this felt like more than just a friend you cut off.

“Your pets won’t like that Doctor, and besides, I don’t need you to want me.” the Doctor shakes her head, her eyes fall to the ground as she holds back a sob.

“We’re the only ones left..”

“What memories,” the Master purrs, pacing around her like a lion stalking its prey, “I remember those words, right before I died in your arms and you let me burn for a second time..”

“Dont..” her voice is barely above a whisper, Yaz can see the way it upsets him. Beside her, Graham takes her arm and nods his head towards the other end of the corridor but Yaz shakes her head if the Doctor won’t tell them anything she’d find out herself. She turns back in time to hear the next part of their conversation, this time the Doctor turns to face him as he stalks behind her back. “All we have left is each other!”

“Is that supposed to convince me?” the Master hisses, “Gallifrey is gone, as it should be and will stay. If I wanted to remember another piece of our tattered history it’d still be here.” What did he mean gone? The Doctor went back to Gallifrey all the time, unless… 

“And yet I’m not dead,” this makes the Master stand rigid, his fists clenched at his sides as he stares her down. He can’t give her a proper answer, Yaz watches the Doctor’s confidence spike. “Do you still care about me Koschei?” Yaz watches as she reaches out again, before turning away to stare into the darkness, Graham having left some time ago. She supposed she should have left too if only to respect the Doctor's wishes, but her curiosity ate at her. The Timelord had told them nothing about Gallifrey, about why she went there all the time and why they couldn't go. Slowly but surely though, Yaz could feel she was piecing things together.

“That’s not my name, Theta,” the Master bites, and while Yaz tries to make sense of their history, she’s failed to notice how close they’ve gotten, or the fact that the Doctor is reaching to pull the handbrake down. That is until the TARDIS starts moving. And while Yaz ponders the meaning of their words, the Doctor is already rushing out the door.


	7. Twisted Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz can't let it go

Can you call it disappearing if you knew exactly where someone was? Yaz wasn’t entirely sure, but she decided to refer to the Doctor’s sudden rush out of the door as exactly that. The Doctor had disappeared on them, again, except this time her companions knew exactly who she was seeing. They weren’t happy about it, but there wasn’t much they could really say. Now that Yaz knew about Gallifrey, she was quick to tell the others, though Graham shook his head disapprovingly at her the whole time. They were sitting in the library, each of them sprawled on their own armchair, Ryan was silent, his hands in his lap as he contemplated her words. The Doctor’s planet was gone, no wonder she never wanted them to go, no wonder she cared for the Master so much. Except, maybe it went deeper than that. 

“How long have they been together d’you think?” Ryan asked, looking up at his friends as they shared a glance. Yaz shook her head, she didn’t want to think about it. The Master was a monster, regardless of what he had been, he’d tried to kill them all, he destroyed an entire planet. 

“They’ve been friends since they were kids, right? She said oldest friend,” Graham pointed out.

“Who knows what oldest means when it comes to the Doctor,” Ryan says. Yaz shakes her head, she didn't want to hear any more of this, standing up she escapes from the room, leaving the two men inside staring worriedly after her. With a frustrated huff, she makes her way back to the console, only to stop in her tracks when she finds the Doctor isn’t there. Instead, the Master stood, circling the controls with a bored expression on his face. His eyes flick up to hers and he smirks as she takes a step forward, back straightened like she was ready for a fight.

“Where’s the Doctor?” she growls. He eyes her silently for a moment, his fingers dancing along the side of the console as he stalks towards her.

“Hello, been a while.” 

“Answer me!” The Master’s gaze grows cold, his lips curl into a sneer. Yaz shrinks back, stepping into the corridor in case she needed to run. The Master says nothing to her, his gaze flicks over to the end of the hall and when Yaz turns to follow it she finds the Doctor walking back into the console room, a bag of popcorn in her arm. 

“Oh,” she stops, her gaze switching from Yaz to the Master, who seems to relax in her presence, “I thought you’d be asleep.”

“Yeah well when you run off like that it's hard to rest.,” Yaz says, her arms cross over her chest, the Doctor gulps, her gaze falls to the floor. 

“Sorry,” she mutters, “things just happened so fast..didn’t have time to tell anyone anything.” It was a lie, Yaz knew that. She bit her lip, turning to look at the Master who was leaning against the console his head tilted as he watched her. 

“So, what? You’re mates now? All buddy buddy, getting ready to have a movie night or something?” she snarks, nodding her head towards the popcorn in the Doctor’s hand. The female Timelord’s face turned pink, she clutched the box in her hand. 

“W-well uh, we were just going to catch up..” the Master scoffs, chuckled.

“It was her idea,” he says, “I’d rather not be here at all," but Yaz takes notice of the fact that he didn't sound truly angry about it.

“Hush you! You promised!” the Doctor points accusingly at him with her free hand, Yaz fights the urge to roll her eyes at their seemingly playful banter. The Master huffs, rolling his eyes he pushes off the console and makes his way towards the Doctor. Yaz takes a frightened step back as the Master saunters towards the other Timelord and smirks, towering over her by a couple of inches.

“I promised nothing, you get one night and that’s it,” he hisses, but the Doctor merely snorts.

“Come,” she says, “I’ve got the perfect movie in mind.” Yaz ignores the suggestion in her tone in favor of protesting the Doctor’s decision to take the Master’s hand in her free one.

“Doctor!” she snaps, “how can you trust him?! After what he did to you?” It was a loaded question, as far as the Doctor knew Yaz had no clue about Gallifrey, to her she was merely talking about the events that occurred after the plane crash. But Yaz’s question meant so much more than that. The Doctor stopped, letting go of the Master’s hand, she turned towards Yaz with a small smile but said nothing. “Doctor…” 

“Get some sleep Yaz,” the Doctor says, “sorry for keeping you awake.” She turns, following the Master who had since made it a little further down the hall. Yaz watched as he stopped to allow her time to catch up, grasping her hand again and letting her lead him to the cinema room. When they turned the corner Yaz let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. 

“Do you?” the Master asked as the Doctor flopped onto one of the soft bean bag chairs scattered throughout the room, causing popcorn to fall onto her. She looked up at him, swallowing the bits of popcorn she stuffed into her mouth.

“Do I what?” 

“Trust me?” he says, sitting in the chair beside her, his legs sprawled out as he stared up at the screen. The Doctor bites her lip, putting the box of popcorn on the ground between them. She holds her hand out, looking at him expectantly. The Master raises a brow and hesitantly raises his hand to place it in hers. “What are you doing?” he asks as she slips her fingers in between his. 

“Answering your question,” she says. The Master scoffs but doesn’t pull his hand away.

“Liar,” he growls. The Doctor doesn’t answer, she squeezes his hand, lifting it up to press a kiss to the back of it. The Master clears his throat, shifting in his seat, “let’s just watch this stupid movie..”

“You used to love Frozen,” the Doctor says, pressing a button on the room by her feet and watching as the screen lit up. 

“Yeah well..things change.”

“Master,” she sighs, the frown on her face is enough to make him feel bad. He huffs, slipping his hand away from her to gently brush a stray hair from her face. It’s not an apology, for anything, but it's enough to make her smile again and as the movie starts up the two Timelords turn their attention to the screen.

When Graham and Ryan finally made their way out of the library and into the corridor in search of Yaz they were greeted by the sound of jovial off-key singing followed by actual singing, Ryan could recognize the sound of Frozen’s ‘Let It Go’ when he heard it. He shared a look with Graham, who, despite everything, merely laughed. Ryan chuckled softly as they passed the cinema room, hearing the Master’s gruff voice vibrate off the walls as he sang to the music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its canon that Missy watched Frozen with the Doctor jus sayin


	8. Forged in Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the end of everything, there is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is pure smut! Enjoy

At the end of everything, there is silence.

Except, not always.

For the Master, his world began and ended in fire and the sound of screams. Scorching and burning across sands and valleys, bringing civilizations to their knees. It was the fire that kept him going, the fire in his head and in his hearts that he never put out. For the Master, his relationship with the Doctor was an endless fire, it burned and crackled and brought them both to their knees. It destroyed everything in its wake, and he worked to keep it alight. Out of everything, he thought that their love was the most beautiful fire he had ever set, the greatest destruction, the ultimate chaos. And that’s what he thrived on, chaos. Nothing brought the pounding in his head to a standstill like she did, not when he was a child and not now. 

When their movie came to an end, the Master insisted on leaving, he wanted to get up and run like he had so many times before. In a way, he supposed he got that from her. But the Doctor sat snuggly at his side, her head resting on his chest and her eyes closed, she breathed evenly, the Master was hyper-aware of her. How her body felt, how her mind was left open and bare for him, how her breathing slowed. It made his head hurt and his hearts pound in a pleasant feeling he hadn’t been privy to in a long time. He never wanted to leave her. Then again, he had said this before, but life never worked out that way. For now, the Master lifted her gently into his arms and carried her bridal style out of the room and down the corridor to her own. He was careful to avoid her exceptionally nosy companions as he slipped into her room and settled her onto the bed. She shifted slightly, her eyes blinking open.

She opened her mouth, and he knew exactly what she was going to ask, but as he slipped into bed with her it seemed she had her answer. She smiled at him, he thought about lighting the world on fire for that smile, he supposed he already had. Slowly, he leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips, she answered eagerly, letting him roll his body until he was hovering over her without once breaking it. Her touch felt like fire and the destruction of everything, as her hand slid towards his cheek it burnt the skin and the Master reveled in it. Every touch sent his senses alight, every brush of her lips against his caused a spark within him. When she rolled atop him and pinned him to the mattress he felt like the world beneath him shook. She kissed him again, her mind brushing against his sickeningly sweet as he let her in, and then she saw it the fire, the burn, the sound of screams. It did nothing to deter her, nothing to stop her from pulling away and tugging his shirt over his head, discarding it along with her own. 

When he touched her, his hands sliding along her waist until it reached her bra she let him unclasp it without so much as flinching. Without a word she let him toss it to the side and as he nipped and sucked at her breasts she listened to the sound of screams, rocking her hips against his.  _ I loved every second of it, _ his voice echoed within her mind,  _ every moment of our shared destruction. _ She doesn’t answer, though her fingers find their way into his hair and tug sharply when he delivers a particularly harsh suck to one of her nipples. She’s pushing him away from her then, pinning him to the mattress she rocks her hips earning a low groan. She could feel him harden as she leans down to nip and suck at his neck, her fingers trailing to his trousers where she slowly unbuttons them. He lifts himself up for only a moment to help her discard them, along with his underwear, before reaching to do the same to her. Her hands grip his wrist.

“Not yet,” she growled, pinning them above his head. When she lets go he knows better than to move them, keeping them still as she kisses down his chest, nipping and sucking at sensitive skin until she reaches his navel each kiss lighting his body on fire. Her tongue, hot and wet, licks the tip of his cock slowly, teasing. He doesn’t beg, he never has, he merely grunts in annoyance and bucks his hips until he forces them down and swallows his cock. He moans, loud and unabashed, his fingers fisted in her hair as she sucks, her tongue flat against the underside of his cock. She pulls away before it can get any further, he bites his tongue to keep from crying out. 

Then, she’s stepping away from him, tugging off her trousers and her panties, tossing them aside before hovering over him once again. She seems to hesitate for a moment, her eyes searching his for something unknown to him. Gentle fingers caress his cheek, then down to his neck. “Did you enjoy it?” she asks, waiting patiently for an answer. He doesn’t know what she means, but then there’s a flash in his mind, a memory of his fingers wrapping around her throat, coupled by the feeling of her own caressing his in slow movements. The memory brings a flash of heat to the forefront of his mind, his cock twitches, it's all the answer she needs. 

Slowly she’s lining herself up with him, the fingers on his throat begin to wrap around as she sinks down onto him. She’s choking him when she’s fully seated, enough to make it hurt but not enough to stop his breathing. Another flash of heat, but this time it’s coming from her when he thrusts his hips into her. His hands come to grip her waist, fingers digging into the skin as she lifts herself and then slams back down. Both Time Lords let out a moan, the Master sucks in the air as the pressure on his throat releases. With every movement the Doctor would apply and then release, sometimes holding it longer than before. The Master bucks his hips up to meet hers, burying his cock in tight wet heat with every thrust. His hand trails down, thumb brushing against her clit as she moves. She gasps, one harsh thrust into her and his body begins to shudder.  _ Close _ his mind supplies, it feels almost like a whisper but she hears it loud and clear and then she’s pressing into the furthest recesses of his mind and pulling out memories. Each one is different than the last. Memories of red grass and running across fields, of kisses and broken promises, memories of forgotten friends and burning skies. The memories are forged in fire, and at the end of everything, there is burning. As the Master releases into her, all he can feel is burning, and as her grip loosens he’s pulling himself up and tugging the Doctor into a harsh kiss, feeling her shudder and come with one final shallow thrust. 

Her lips burn, and all he can feel is the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow it's been a hot minute since i've made a new chapter for this


End file.
